911 caller says Longwood fire that destroyed home started in fireplace

January 23, 2014|By Tiffany Walden, Orlando Sentinel

A couple escaped their Longwood home early Thursday, just minutes before a fire that started near the fireplace destroyed the 4,000-square-foot structure.

A man called 911 on his cell phone around 2 a.m. to report a fire coming from his home's fireplace, Seminole County Fire and Rescue Lt. Tod Zellers said.

The flames quickly spread and engulfed the house, firefighters said. The man, as well as a woman in the house, were not hurt. Seminole County Fire and Rescue did not release the names of the couple.

"The roof was pretty much burned off the house," Zellers said. Authorities deemed the home uninhabitable.

Zellers said the fire investigation was turned over to the State Fire Marshal's office, which will determine the cause of the fire.

A blast of cold air sent temperatures throughout Central Florida plummeting on Wednesday night but it was not known Thursday whether there was a fire burning in the fireplace when the house went up in flames.

Fire officials regularly warn about of the dangers of fireplaces, space heaters and wood stoves when temperatures drop.

The American Red Cross notes that heating fires are the second leading cause of residential fires in the United State, behind cooking fires.

The U.S. Fire Administration has these safety tips for people with fireplaces in their homes:

•Have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually.

•Clear the area around your fireplace of any flammable material.

•Leave glass fireplace doors open while burning a fire to ensure that the fire receives enough air for combustion.